Hello
dear friends! Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a reminder of the power
behind your personal story. Jesus has touched your life in a profound
way. Are you telling somebody about it?
Redeemed, and I love to proclaim it,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #18
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever;
To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
Psalm 89:1
Core Value: Evangelism
The best stories
are the stories that we have experienced. Everyone can recite the words
to their favorite poem or memorized prose, and even be expressive with
deep feeling. But there is a far greater power when we tell our stories
to others. As disciples of Jesus, we tell the story of our great
redemption. We tell the story of how Jesus changed our life. We share
with others of His great love for us.
This lyric from this classic hymn describes the power behind a personal story.
I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
Refrain: I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.
You’ve got a story to tell. Are you telling it?
Principle #18 & Personal Application: Quality disciples love to share their testimony with anyone who will listen.
• The disciple of Jesus has a song that rings true: the Lord is merciful.
• The disciple of Jesus desires to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel.
• The disciple of Jesus makes it a life priority to share of the Lord’s faithfulness with others.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What has Jesus done in my life that I need to share with the lost?
Who needs to hear my testimony this week?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by faith, I will sing of Your lovingkindness forever. May I
be able to testify to as many people as possible of your great
faithfulness.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.
You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e
Hello
dear friends! Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a fresh and timely
reminder of how practical prayer really is for those of us who are tied
up in knots.
Learning with you,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #17
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 1 O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by
day and in the night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry! Psalm 88:1-2
Core Value: Prayer
Knots. Everyone has had them, one time or another. Knots in a drop
cord; knots in a shoestring, and sometimes, even knots in a stomach.
It’s the knots in the stomach that really get our attention when life
becomes much with us. Worry hovers over us. Anxiety seeks to plant its
toxic tentacles into our mind. And the knots come, often in bunches.
What is a believer to do? When the knots come, we can go to the One who
loosens our knots. The procedure is called prayer. The recipient of our
prayers is Jesus.
Principle #17 & Personal Application: Quality disciples make prayer the first resort when facing life’s challenges.
• When we pray, we pray to the Lord, the God of our salvation
• When we pray, we pray both day and night
• When we pray, we pray with the expectation that He will hear us and respond
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
When I pray, am I usually more concerned about what I need or am I more focused upon Who I need it from?
When is the last time I really connected with the Lord in prayer? What was the experience like?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are the God of my salvation. By
faith, I will cry out to You both day and night. May my prayer come
before You. May You turn Your ear to me and hear my cry.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.
You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e
Hello
dear friends. Have you ever been homesick? Today's Psalms of
Discipleship reminds us that we need to keep heaven on our mind and
invite as many people as we can to join us.
On the journey with you,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #16
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 1 His foundation is in the holy mountains. 2 The LORD
loves the gates of Zion More than all the other dwelling places of
Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. 4 "I
shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold,
Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: 'This one was born there.' " 5 But of
Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; And the
Most High Himself will establish her. 6 The LORD will count when He
registers the peoples, "This one was born there." Selah. 7 Then those
who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, "All my springs
of joy are in you." Psalm 87:1-11
Some Background: This Psalm
has a two-fold meaning. One, it is a prophecy of the future Kingdom
where Jerusalem will be the center of the world. Two, it is a picture of
heaven where every disciple of Jesus has his or her heavenly
citizenship.
Core Value: Evangelism
As believers we
are just passing through. Or are we? There are some of who have fallen
in love with this world and all of its entrapments. We need to be
reminded that the goal of our salvation is not to have the best that
this world can offer, but to keep our eye on the prize and the place:
eternity with the Lover of our soul. This prize is named Jesus and the
place is called heaven.
My friend Pat Terry has captured this thought in a beautiful way when he writes,
They say that heaven's pretty And living here is too But if they said
that I would have to choose between the two I'd go home, going home,
where I belong
And sometimes when I'm dreaming It comes as
no surprise That if you look and see The homesick feeling in my eyes I'm
going home, going home, where I belong [Home Where I Belong by Pat
Terry]
Why do we share the Gospel? We share it so those who are
spiritually homeless will finally be able to go home too . . . where we
all belong.
Principle #16 & Personal Application: Quality
disciples are compelled to share the Gospel so that all may believe and
inhabit Zion (the City of God).
• We need to share with the
lost of a place that is built by God and the only way to enter is
through having a relationship with His Son (vs. 1-3)
• We need to share with the lost of a place where only disciples of Jesus live forever (vs. 4-6)
• We need to share with the lost of a place where everyone who lives
there enjoys the Lord’s abundant and eternal blessings (vs. 7)
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
How do I explain the reality of heaven in such a way where a person who
does not know the Lord will want to do whatever it takes to go there?
When I think about going to heaven one day, what kinds of thoughts cross my mind?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for a place where I will go when this life on
earth is over. May I have your burden for the lost and bring some of
them with me too.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.
You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e
Hello
my dear friends! Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a reminder of how
powerful the grace of God is for the disciple of Jesus. It not only
saves us but it also empowers us to experience the abundant life of
Jesus.
Living in Amazing Grace,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #15
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name. 12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord
my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. 13 For
Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul
from the depths of Sheol. Psalm 86:11-13
Core Value: Grace
Every disciple needs a frequent reality check: without the grace of
Jesus we have no destination other than hell, eternal separation from
the love of God (John 14:6). This is true: when God takes the
initiative, we are able to respond by taking positive steps. Because of
His grace we are able to walk in His truth. When we are walking in truth
there is an even deeper awareness of how great He is. A heart that has
been infused with grace responds in thanksgiving and worship. Grace not
only keeps us out of hell, it empowers us to experience an abundant life
in Him.
Principle #15 & Personal Application: Quality disciples have both a teachable and thankful heart.
• By His grace we are able to learn His way and walk in His truth
• By His grace we are able to fear His name and give thanks to Him with an entire heart
• By His grace we are able to embrace His lovingkindness (mercy) and avoid having to spend eternity without Him
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
From my perspective, how is my life impacted when I walk in the Lord’s truth?
In what ways can I cultivate and enhance a thankful heart?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am asking You to teach me Your way as I make a fresh
commitment to walk in Your truth. May I always have a great respect for
the greatness of Your name. By grace, help me to offer thanks to You
with a humble and thankful heart. Thank You for pouring out Your love
and mercy upon me and delivering my soul from a Christ-less eternity.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.
You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e
Hello
my dear friends! Everyone has problems, sometimes, even GREAT ones. The
blessing for the disciple of Jesus is that in spite of our great
problems, we have an even GREATER God. In today's Psalms of
Discipleship, the Psalmist is filled with a heart of worship as he
praises His great God.
He is greatly to be praised!
Learning to worship Him, better,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #14
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor
are there any works like Yours. 9 All nations whom You have made shall
come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. Psalm
86:8-10
Core Value: Worship
Allow me to pose this
personal question to you: are your problems greater than your God?
Before you respond with the “right” answer, give full pause before
answering the question honestly. There are some believers who focus more
upon the greatness of their problem instead of setting their heart upon
the impeccable character and the incredible ways of our Great God.
Here is what I have come to realize: no matter how great is my problem;
He can be greatly trusted to help me through it. The key to
experiencing the greatness of God while undergoing a great problem is to
worship Him greatly. A great God is worthy of great worship!
Principle #14 & Personal Application: Quality disciples are diverse
members of a worldwide body of believers who worship Jesus and glorify
His Name.
• Who is like the Lord? No one
• Who has works like His? No one
• Who will come and worship and glorify Him? Everyone
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What can I do today that will help me set my heart upon the Lord and worship Him?
What kinds of “great and wondrous deeds” has the Lord done in my life recently?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, there is no one like You among the gods. O Lord, nor are
there any works like Yours. One day from every nation, every knee will
bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. What a
glorious time that will be where You will receive the worship due to
Your great Name and to Your wondrous deeds. You and You alone are God.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.
You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e
Hello
my dear friends! On occasion, we can find ourselves facing impossible
circumstances. These impossible events can either become stepping stones
to an even greater faith or the stones that cause even deeper wounds.
By God's grace I am learning to cast my cares upon Him, especially the
ones that are impossible.
Growing with you,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #13
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 1 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am
afflicted and needy. 2 Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O You my
God, save Your servant who trusts in You. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long. 4 Make glad the soul of Your servant, For
to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready
to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. 6
Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my
supplications! 7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You
will answer me. Psalm 86:1-7
Core Value: Prayer
"This one is going to take a miracle!” Have you ever allowed these words
to enter your heart and come out of your mouth? Perhaps you were facing
a financial crisis or were emotionally reeling from a severely wounded
relationship that had crashed and burned right in front of you. Maybe
you had lost your way and had no clue on how to get to where you needed
to go. All that you knew was your hope for a good outcome was running on
fumes and at any time you were ready to give in and give up in your
“day of trouble.” When we are in trouble, there is no better time to
offer up our impossible circumstances with impossible prayers to the God
who makes all things possible.
Principle #13 & Personal
Application: Quality disciples present their impossible needs to the
only One who can answer impossible prayers.
• We pray impossible prayers when we are afflicted and needy
• We pray impossible prayers to a God we cannot see but by faith we know He is listening
• We pray impossible prayers when our circumstances are far greater than our ability to fix them
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What impossible prayer am I asking from the Lord?
Has it been my habit to pray prayers that I can answer or have I been praying prayers that will take a miracle?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You that when I pray, You hear my heart: the words
that are spoken as well as the secret cries stored away in the depths of
my soul. No matter my circumstance, You have promised to answer me.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.
You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e
Hello
dear friends! I write this edition of Psalms of Discipleship to you on
Easter morning. As disciples of Jesus we know that the resurrection of
our Lord gives meaning to EVERYTHING we believe and practice. The
resurrection is a stark reminder that our lives do not belong to us but
to Him. Because He lives, we do also. And because He lives in us, we
need to be about the business of reaching out to those who have yet to
embrace the Good News that Jesus loves them too.
He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #12
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Lovingkindness and truth have met
together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalm 85:9-10
Core Value: Evangelism
For the disciple of Jesus, salvation occurs every day. No, I am not
referring to having a daily “born again” experience. Once we receive
God’s gift of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for our sins, His Spirit seals us
for the day of redemption. We are saved, forever. What I am suggesting
is that there is also a salvation that is a daily sanctification where
Jesus saves us from ourselves every day. Scripture refers to this as
“working out our salvation.”
Here is where many people outside
of the family of God miss it: this kind of work is to occur after the
beginning of eternal life takes place, not before. There are some who
think they can work themselves into a state of salvation by being good
enough, being right enough, being disciplined enough, or being worthy
enough to make it to heaven. It is called the way of works and this way
will never allow a person to have a saving relationship with the One who
is called the Way, the Truth, and the Life. On the other hand, as a
result of responding to His grace and experiencing what the Bible
describes as saving faith, there are others who embrace the teachings of
Jesus and begin to work out their salvation—day by day.
Here
is the take-a-way. Saved people, those who have experienced new life in
Jesus and who are growing in their relationship with Him, seek to reach
out to those who are still trying to work themselves to heaven.
Principle #12 & Personal Application: Quality disciples know how to
share the precious message of the Gospel with those who are in need of
His salvation.
• The good news is that His salvation is near to
those who fear (greatly respect) Him. So, whoever calls upon the Name
of the Lord will be saved.
• The good news is that His
lovingkindness and truth have met together. So, we have a salvation not
based upon a myth and legalism but a salvation based upon love and
truth.
• The good news is that righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. So, we who are saved have been given right standing
before a Holy and Righteous God finding a peace that only comes from
knowing Jesus.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
Who in my inner circle of family and friends need to hear the Gospel from my lips?
Why is the peace of Christ so intimately related to my salvation?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, because of Your love and grace to me I have experienced
Your salvation. Continue to hold me near to You. I praise You for Your
lovingkindness and truth: they have met together. I thank You that You
have allowed righteousness and peace to have kissed each other, granting
me right standing and peace with You.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.
You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e
